Tag: learning

Friday Faves: My Shape Is Sam by Amanda Jackson, Illustrated by Lydia Nichols

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My Shape Is Sam by Amanda Jackson, Illustrated by Lydia Nichols

Happy Friday everyone! I have SUCH a special treat to share with you today! I am so excited! My Shape Is Sam by Amanda Jackson is a truly wonderful book. Sam is a square who lives in a place where each shape has a job. He’s a sturdy stacker, but longs to roll like the circles. One day he rolls and continues to roll til his edges smooth out. (There is so much detail that went into this book, even the corners of the pages are rounded!) He loves it, but the other shapes aren’t sure what to think. He follows his heart and when asked what his shape is, he says my “Shape is Sam”. It’s a book about being different and wanting to follow your heart and true self. With wonderful illustrations by Lydia Nichols, this book teaches kids about shapes and shows them that being different is okay. What a great lesson that can be applied to many different aspects of life! I finished reading this to my kids and they immediately asked for me to read it again. It’s new to the shelves so please check it out! Happy reading everyone!

Teach Our Kids With Love and Kindness

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“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. It is a small window of time to learn and develop at a pace that is right for each individual child” Magda Gerber

Last night I went to my son’s curriculum night for preschool. I LOVE his preschool. The teachers believe in teaching at age appropriate levels, through play, and showing the children that learning is fun. After all, we want to foster their love for knowledge and set them on a great path for learning.

If we push too hard or turn learning into a forced task, we could destroy their love for learning. Instead, it would turn into an undesirable chore that they will look at with resentment. At my son’s school, they have created a wonderful learning environment where they combine fun with learning. The lessons are gently integrated into playful activities and the kids don’t see school as something scary or hard, or that they aren’t good at. They are ENCOURAGED, supported, and even loved. What a wonderful way to start their learning journey.